The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA)

  • ‘NCC committed to achieving 30% broadband penetration by 2018’

    ‘NCC committed to achieving 30% broadband penetration by 2018’

    The Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC ) says it is committed to achieving the 30 per cent approved National Broadband Implementation Plan by 2018.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said this on Wednesday at the Nigeria Digital Innovation Conference in Ibadan.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference is sponsored by Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development ( CECAD ) in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Communication and NCC.

    The theme of the conference is “Building a New Nigeria in Digital Economy: Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship’’

    Danbatta, who was represented by Mr Reuben Muoka, NCC Head of Public Affairs, said that the plan was part of the 8-point agenda conceptualised for comprehensive national economic growth.

    He said that Nigeria’s broadband penetration was empirically adjudged by the global telecom regulator, the International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ), as 21 per cent in 2017.

    “We have witnessed the success of online shopping malls, online banking and other transactions in a way that it is being experienced in far more developed countries.

    “We are supporting ICT innovations in our institutions of higher learning and among several youth organisations across the country,’’ he said.

    Danbatta said that the Commission had taken the agenda as its guide in measuring regulatory impact and aligning development agenda in the course of regulating one of Africa’s biggest telecom market.

    The Executive Vice Chairman said that the NCC would not relent in its effort at promoting investment opportunities and selling the country’s investment potentials to the international telecom community.

    The NCC boss also said that the toll free 622 secondary consumer complaints initiative had been upgraded, adding that the success rate of resolution of consumer complaints on the platform had reached 75 per cent.

    “We have intensified our monitoring and compliance activities to achieve sanity and compliance to the rules of the game.

    “We are in the process of introducing a mandatory corporate governance code to improve the level of integrity of the industry,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria ( PIN ), said that lack of commitment to innovative ideas accounted for the 56 per cent unemployment rate in the country.

    Sesan, who recalled how he made headway through strong innovation in 1997, charged students to stop giving excuses, saying such could limit their future.

    “I don’t think there is a reason for any student to graduate without a skill with the presence of the internet. Stop complaining about government.

    “What you become in the future is the product of whatever you start now,’’ he said.

    Mr Sunday Afolayan, President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association ( NIRA ), said the association was committed to ensuring that the identity and investment of Nigerians was maintained and protected.

    Afolayan also said that the association would ensure that Nigerians participated favourably in the digital space.

    Mr Bayo Oyeleke, Deputy Rector, The Polytechnic Ibadan, thanked the organisers for choosing the institution as the venue for the conference in the South West Zone.

    Oyeleke said that the conference would open the windows for students who participate actively.

    NAN reports that the conference was organised to promote innovation in tertiary institutions and as an avenue for students to interact with stakeholders and experts in the digital innovation world.

  • Internet association says only 80,000 .ng domain in Nigeria

    Internet association says only 80,000 .ng domain in Nigeria

    President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mr Sunday Folayan says only 80,000 dotng (.ng) domain names have been registered so far in Nigeria.

    Folayan announced the figure during the NIRA 2017 .ng Awards, aimed at celebrating the achievements and innovation of Nigerian internet initiatives on Friday in Lagos.

    He said that the uptake and registration of .ng, which is the Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), was low and needed to be embraced by Nigerians.

    According to him, South Africa, with a population of 57 million people, has over a million domains registered under .za, as its ccTLD.

    “This abysmal comparison led NIRA to do a deep introspect, where we recognized that education, especially which leads to entrepreneurship and job creation, is the major driver of domain name penetration.

    “NIRA has established the ‘NIRA Academy’, which will soon assume its position as the centre of excellence in Domain Name System (DNS) in Africa.

    “The academy currently operates outside NIRA head office, but we seek a permanent site for the construction of our campus,” he said.

    Afolayan implored Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to assist the association with “generous allocation worthy of a campus for a centre of excellence”.

    The president said that in the course of the year, the .ng brand would be visible on social media platforms in order to promote the ccTLD.

    The internet service expert said that the NIRA .ng Awards was established in 2016 to recognise and honour the many contributors that were creating awareness in growing the .ng brand.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the categories of the awards include: “.ng Company of the Year”, “Start-up Company of the Year”, “Best Local Hosting Company’’ and “Best e-Payment Website/Portal’’.

    Others are .ng Media Award categories which include, “Best Print Media Website”, “Best Electronic Media (Television and Radio)” and “Best Online Media Website”, under which NAN was nominated.

     

  • Internet association plans whitelist for .ng

    Internet association plans whitelist for .ng

    The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) says it plans to produce a Nigerian whitelist to ensure that dotng (.ng) domain is trusted across the globe.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that whitelist is used frequently with e-mail applications to allow users to compile lists of senders they wish to receive e-mail from.

    NIRA is a self-regulating body and managers of the .ng national resource, the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name space in the public interest for Nigeria and global internet communities.

    It is the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and maintains the database of names registered in the .ng country code Top Level Domain.

    NIRA’s President, Mr Sunday Folayan, said in a statement in Lagos on Sunday that the whitelist would ensure that businesses on the .ng domain thrived.

    Folayan said that the .ng string was a critical national resource and Nigeria’s unique identity on the World Wide Web (WWW).

    He said that law enforcement agents often faced frustration when attempting to obtain information for the purpose of prosecuting cyber criminals.

    He said whereas the laws may vary across jurisdictions, some organisations on the internet simply take the easier route of not doing business with people of certain nations, including Nigeria.

    “There are many blacklists out there that simply list Nigerian businesses as not trustworthy and thus preventing them from competing globally.

    “Dot.ng domain names and Nigerian Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are sometimes targeted.

    “If we are to compete globally, we must begin to look at the various options available to give succour to Nigerian businesses.

    “I do not dispute the fact that there are some bad elements out there, who derive joy in hacking, defrauding, identity theft and many other cyber crimes,’’ Folayan said.

    He, however, said that there were many more innovative and enterprising businesses in Nigeria, playing second fiddle because they had a low reputation as decided by some unfair blacklists.

    “NIRA must now evolve a way of creating trust and giving Nigerian businesses more latitude and confidence to operate in the cyberspace.

    “We must find ways to give a voice to all deserving businessmen on the Internet,’’ Folayan said.

    The NIRA president called for ideas, as the association tinkers on the easiest way to lift the veil of the blacklist and create better trust on the net for Nigerian businesses.

  • Domain’s rejection threatens Nigeria’s cyberspace identity

    Domain’s rejection threatens Nigeria’s cyberspace identity

    The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) has lamented that the refusal of Nigerians to register with the .ng domain name is a major challenge to the nation’s cyberspace identity, a decade after it was unveiled.

    Its President, Mr Sunday Folayan, who spoke in Lagos at a press conference to kick off  NIRA’s 10th anniversary, lamented that many Nigerians are not registering with the .ng domain name the way they should because they still do not believe in the country.

    “They would rather register with .com or .co.uk. Nigerians do not want to patronise anything made in Nigeria because we believe we are inferior whereas we are not,” he said.

    Folayan said the number of the .ng domain names registered in the last 10 years in relation to the population of over 170 million people was so insignificant. He urged Nigerians to have a change of heart  ng domain’’ helps to do better business in our locality, as we can’t rule the world without ruling our country first’’.

    Folayan said owning and using .ng domain name enhances Nigeria’s local content, improves branding and geo-targeting of local content in the market. He added that the registration also enhances visibility of businesses, products and services offered online and improves credibility.

    Folayan said the domain name will create availability of more names under the .ng domain, adding that the Domain Name Systems (DNS) industry is a revenue generator with abundant business opportunities.

    He corrected the impression that registering a company in .ng is local,, urging Nigerians to join in the noble act of promoting the growth of indigenous businesses, cultural heritage and economy.

    Folayan said NIRA will further reduce the cost of registering with the domain name to attract more people.

    “For now you can get the .ng domain name registered between N2, 000 and N20, 000, but very soon, registering a domain name will be much cheaper,” he said.

    Folayan said Nigerians must believe in themselves to do great things, adding that NIRA aims to see all local businesses online and wants people to have personal website.

    He particularly urged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to register, adding that they are the economic engine room of the nation and would bring technological innovation that will bring the next billion naira enterprises to the country.

    He said the NiRA .ng selfie and animation competitions will be launched soon in effort to create local contents that inspire and encourage Nigerians to take advantages of the opportunities offered by the competitions.